Drexel Hill, Pa.— Crozer-Chester Medical Center (Crozer) and Delaware County Memorial Hospital (DCMH) were among 12 organizations that were recently awarded grants from Susan G. Komen Philadelphia® to advance critical and life-saving breast cancer education, early detection and treatment, as well as support for survivors, in 2014-2015. The grantee group represents some of the finest healthcare, community and family service organizations from throughout Komen Philadelphia's 15-county service area, and offers broad outreach in terms of ethnicity, income level, age and lifestyle.

For the 2014-2015 grant period, Komen Philadelphia distributed the more than $1.1 million in grants to support breast health education, awareness, screening, treatment and support projects specifically targeting low-income, uninsured women. Given the changes in the healthcare system, Health Insurance Counseling has also been given a greater focus in the group of funded programs.

As dedicated care providers in the community, Crozer and DCMH received a Screening/Treatment Grant from the Komen Philadelphia Community Grants Program to fund breast health outreach, education, clinical breast exams, screening mammograms, diagnostic services and treatment for the uninsured and underinsured in Delaware County. Both DCMH and Crozer are committed to meeting all of their patients’ breast health needs and have been designated as Breast Imaging Centers of Excellence by the American College of Radiology (ACR). This prestigious designation recognizes that DCMH and Crozer have earned accreditation in all of the College’s voluntary, breast-imaging accreditation programs and modules, in addition to the mandatory Mammography Accreditation Program. In addition, both programs are accredited by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC) and recognized for Disease Specific Certification for Breast Cancer Care by The Joint Commission.

“Our Community Grants Program has always focused on saving lives and establishing foundations that better the odds for future generations to survive breast cancer," said Elaine I. Grobman, Chief Executive Officer of Susan G. Komen Philadelphia. "However, we've entered a new era in our fight. We've made great progress in educating and motivating women to talk about breast cancer, practice early detection and prioritize their breast heath… and this progress means more women than ever are now seeking help. Komen Philadelphia and the grantees that carry out our mission truly have had to evolve our work to meet the demand. We have an even greater responsibility to the 3.7 million women we serve to assure EVERY one of them has ready access to the doctors, services and support that save lives. Komen Philadelphia and our grantees are making sure that happens."

“Through the generous funding support we have received from the Komen Philadelphia Affiliate over the past 10 years, we have diagnosed 193 breast cancers,” says Marie DeStefano, R.N., M.S.N. F.A.A.M.A, senior administrative director of Oncology for Crozer-Keystone Health System. “Delaware County has the third-highest incidence of breast cancer in the state but is 28th in mortality, thanks in large part to education and early detection. Together, DCMH and Crozer remain deeply committed to winning the battle against breast cancer and supporting the Komen organization in its important mission.”

Komen Philadelphia distributes grants to organizations that work with the medically underserved, including uninsured and underinsured individuals and those individuals who may not receive adequate care because of barriers such as language, cultural differences and fear. The outreach spans the Komen Philadelphia service area of: Adams, Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Montgomery, Philadelphia and York counties, PA; Camden County, NJ; and Kent, New Castle and Sussex counties, DE. Grants are made possible by the organization's family of supporters – ranging from Race for the Cure sponsors and participants, to educational program sponsors, to individual donors – all making a very tangible impact in their communities through the work of Komen Philadelphia and its grantees.

Komen Philadelphia's rigorous grantee selection process assures funded programs uphold the integrity of the Komen name and meet the needs of diverse communities throughout its service area. In total, the programs funded by 2014-2015 Komen Philadelphia grants are expected to accomplish the following:

Screening mammograms: 3,682

Clinical breast exams: 335

Diagnostic services: 1,736

Health insurance counseling sessions: 450

Linkages to screening, treatment & survivorship support: 1,357

Education & outreach contacts: 12,360

A complete list of 2014-2015 grantees, grant type and funded program for each is available at KomenPhiladelphia.org.

"Our grantees are highly capable and extremely devoted… they are out in our neighborhoods every day to assure women have access right now to the services they need to detect breast cancer as early as possible and, if needed, face a diagnosis with the best possible care," said Carlos Hernandez, program director, Grants & Public Policy, Komen Philadelphia. "It is a privilege for me to work so closely with Delaware County Memorial Hospital, Crozer-Chester Medical Center and all our grantees. They are leading millions of people out of the darkness of breast cancer and instead filling their journey with hope and life-enriching, life-saving services regardless of race, financial ability, education or background."

The Komen Philadelphia Community Grant money is a result of the organization's annual fund-raising efforts, the largest contributor being the Susan G. Komen Philadelphia Race for the Cure®. Komen Philadelphia is hopeful this year's Race (Mother's Day, May 11) will help drive even greater grant resources for the next grant period.

The hospitals of Crozer-Keystone Health System are avid supporters of the Susan G. Komen Philadelphia Race for the Cure and invite members of the community to join their team on Mother’s Day for this year’s race.

To register for the CKHS Race for the Cure team, please contact Barbara Morley at (610) 284-8112 or barbara.morley@crozer.org. On-site registration will also be available.

About Susan G. Komen Philadelphia

Komen Philadelphia is part of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the world’s largest breast cancer organization, funding more breast cancer research than any other nonprofit while providing real-time help to those facing the disease. In the past 23 years, since the first Komen Philadelphia Race for the Cure, the Komen Philadelphia Affiliate has distributed over $52.5 million in grants to local organizations, funded approximately 140,000 mammograms for women in need in its service area, and contributed approximately $21.5 million to breast cancer research.

Through grants and Komen Philadelphia outreach initiatives targeting a diversity of communities, the organization empowers people in a 15-county service area: Adams, Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Montgomery, Philadelphia and York counties, PA; Kent, New Castle and Sussex counties, DE; Camden County, NJ. Outreach ranges from mammograms, diagnostic services and treatment for women in need, to education, counseling and other forms of support, to programs for breast cancer survivors.

About Crozer-Keystone Health System

Crozer-Keystone offers a comprehensive approach to cancer care, combining state-of-the-art diagnosis and treatment with supportive care. This includes the latest in diagnostic and pathologic equipment and techniques to diagnose cancer at its earliest stages. Both Crozer-Chester Medical Center in Upland and Delaware County Memorial Hospital in Drexel Hill have been designated as Breast Imaging Centers of Excellence by the American College of Radiology. In addition, both programs are accredited by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC) and recognized for Disease Specific Certification for Breast Cancer Care by The Joint Commission.